Attorney recalls three seconds of fame in ‘Casino’
Al Lasso was a struggling college student and craps dealer when "Casino" came to town.
Fame came calling, he fantasized.
Lasso got hired as an extra by casting agent Marilee Lear and spent four weeks working all-nighters.
"Don't blink or you'll miss me," Lasso says of his three-second cameo with actor Kevin Pollak in an airport arrival scene.
Lasso was among a handful of extras who portrayed photographers and reporters who swarmed Pollak as he was getting off a plane. Pollak played Phillip Green, a character based on Allen Glick, who was suspected of being a front for the mob's casino activities.
Also in the scene: Mike Weatherford, Review-Journal entertainment columnist, and Gwen Castaldi, who worked in television, radio and print in Las Vegas, Chicago and Cleveland.
Lasso and the other "photographers" were given cameras with no film.
"They were just props," said Lasso, who had other ideas.
Just before the scene was shot, he excused himself, saying he was taking a restroom break. He dashed into the airport gift shop and bought a roll of film.
Then, acting like he was taking practice photos, he photographed director Martin Scorsese talking to Pollak with the media scrum.
"Scorsese's mother used to come to the set and cook for everybody," Lasso recalled
Lasso said the long hours on the set paid off. A law student, he was able to study during the down time. He has been an attorney for a decade after working as a court clerk for District Court Judge Joe Bonaventure.
The scene and heard
Former FBI agent and Justice Court Judge Bill Jansen remembers the popular Thanksgiving dinner deal offered by Howard Hughes' Landmark hotel. "Four or more at a table, and you got a whole roasted turkey with all the trimmings and you could take home the leftovers," said Jansen, now 80. "They carved the turkey at your table." Jansen recalls a familiar face who worked as the entertainment director in the 1970s: actor Dwayne Hickman, best known for his role as Dobie Gillis in the hit TV series "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis." ...
Tune into Ira Sternberg's "Talk About Las Vegas With Ira" at 8 p.m. Thursday on KUNV-FM, 91.5. We will be discussing "Pawn Stars" star Rick Harrison, my guest on "Conversations With Norm" on Dec. 9 at Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. It can be heard online at 915thesource.org and will be posted at talkaboutlasvegas.com. ...
In last week's item about the Las Vegas Entertainment Hall of Fame, I misspelled the name of entertainer Carme Pitrello and misstated Buddy Greco's music genre. He was a legendary jazz pianist and vocalist.
On this day
Nov. 25, 2006: Liza Minnelli revives the Las Vegas tradition of a "Gypsy show" by performing a free late-night concert at the Luxor for 1,000 entertainers and crew members who would have conflicting schedules. She earns 23 standing ovations during the two-hour show, including one for dramatically pausing to remove her eyelashes.
The punch line
"Drug makers Pfizer and Allergan today announced a $160 billion merger. It's the largest pharmaceutical merger since the one that takes place every day in Keith Richards' stomach." — Seth Meyers
— Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow him: @Norm_Clarke
